John Updike's use of descriptive diction, along with his fantastic example of hyperbole in Sammie's (he spelled the main character's name wrong) deep observation of his surroundings forms a well crafted story that envelops the reader in thought on the tough subjects of being a social hero and how far is it worth it in A&P. The use of description lets the readers know how important this fading moment in Sammy's (spelled it right this time??) life. It illustrates that even after the event happening, Sammy recalls all of what has taken place during the event. This is evidenced by the fact that he remembers so much of what conspired that day. Whether it be the color of the swimsuits, the shapes of the girl's faces, the cans of food they were
Wells, Walter. "John Updike's 'A & P'" Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 30, (1993) : Spring, pp. 127(7).
He leaves, with a clean consciousness, but the burden of not knowing what the future has in store. This story represents a coming-of-age for Sammy. Though it takes place over the period of a few minutes, it represents a much larger process of maturation. From the time the girls enter the grocery store, to the moment they leave, you can see changes in Sammy. At first, he sees only the physicality of the girls: how they look and what they wear, seem to be his only observations.
Updike, John. “A&P”. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Eds. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. Shorter Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 864 - 869.
Updike, John. “A&P.” Literature Craft and Voice. Ed. Nicholas Delbanco and Alan Cheuse. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw, 2013. 141-145. Print.
Sammy is a 19-year-old boy conveying a cocky but cute male attitude. He describes three girls entering the A & P, setting the tone of the story. "In walk these three girls in nothing but bathing suits. There was this chunky one, with the two piece-it was bright green and the seams on the bra were still sharp and her belly was still pretty pale...there was this one, with one of those chubby berry-faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose, this one, and a tall one, with black hair that hadn't quite frizzed righ...
In “Marching through a Novel,” John Updike, conveys a complex relationship between the novelist and characters, by representing the author as a god-like figure whose characters are like his soldiers ready to take action upon his command. John Updike successfully portrays this characterization through his use of metaphors, diction, and imagery.
Many times in our lives, we wish we were independent and we believe we can stand up for ourselves, especially during our adolescence. In “A &P”, a short story by John Updike, the protagonist, Sammy, decides to stand up for himself and go against the customary life style of his town. By doing this such act, he reveals the themes of the story, which include maturity and choices followed by consequences. Updike uses literary devices such as symbolism and tone to help enforce the theme.
Sammy, the protagonist in John Updike’s “A&P,” is a dynamic character because he reveals himself as an immature, teenage boy at the beginning of the story and changes into a mature man at the end. The way Sammy describes his place of work, the customers in the store, and his ultimate choice in the end, prove his change from an immature boy to a chivalrous man. In the beginning, he is unhappy in his place of work, rude in his description of the customers and objectification of the three girls, all of which prove his immaturity. His heroic lifestyle change in the end shows how his change of heart and attitude transform him into mature young man.
In the short story, A&P, written by John Updike, a teenage store cashier named Sammy describes what went on in an A&P store on a hot summer day. One day three girls came into the store dressed in their bathing suits, coming in to buy some snacks. As Sammy observes them, he makes descriptions for each of the girls about their personalities, their looks, and why they even bother coming into the store in the way they were dressed. He keeps a close watch with one of the girls in particular which he names “Queenie” because of her looks. As they go around the store, Sammy mentions that the store is nowhere near the beach and the people would not notice their attire. At this point, we meet Stokesie, Sammy’s coworker, who jokes around with Sammy about
Sammy does not describe the three young girls in a loving manner but more so in astonishment, “ She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs” (Updike 430). Upon witnessing the girls, Sammy throws out insults and compliments based off of the girl’s appearances in his head which shows that he is not in complete infatuation with them. Sammy’s description of the girls paints them as incredibly average with the only thing really popping out about them is the swimsuit they wear. Sammy’s fixation on the girl’s swimsuit shows that he loves the idea of boldness the girl’s brought into the store. Before the girls came in, A & P was deserted which amplified his feeling for the girls “The store's pretty empty, it being Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again” (Updike 433). Sammy’s career is dull and the only thing he has to look forward to is staring at three random female customers. Sammy, bound behind a register in uniform, is mesmerized at seeing how the girls broke store rules by wearing a bikini in the middle of town. However, the memorization does not lead to any deeper connections with the girls “The girls, and who'd blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say "I quit" to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they'll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (Updike 434). Sammy quietly quits to his boss while the three girls are leaving the store in order to receive attention. Had Sammy defended the girls publically, it would be clear that he felt some emotional connection to them. However, Sammy cowardly quits to his boss after the girls were done defending
Updike, John “A&P.” Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing About Fiction, Poetry, Drama and The Essay.4th e. Ed. Frank Madden. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 496-501. Print.
Updike, John. "A&P." The Bedford Introduction To Literature. Ed. Editor's Name(s). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin, 2005.
John Updike’s “A&P” is a short story about a nineteen year old boy during the 1960’s that has a summer job at the local A&P grocery. The main character in the story, Sammy, realizes that life isn’t always fair and that sometimes a person makes decisions that he will regret. Sammy sees that life doesn’t always go as planned when three young girls in bathing suits walk in and his manager Lengel gives them a hard time, and he comes to term with that sometimes you make bad decisions.
The first person narrator of John Updike’s “A&P” is a teenage boy working as a cashier who quits his job after his manager confronts three female customers about their inappropriate attire. This point of view gives readers a better understanding of the protagonist, Sammy. His precise descriptions of the girls’ physical appearance suggests that Sammy is an observant and always aware of his surroundings. Sammy’s point of view presents his natural attraction towards the opposite sex when he sees a group of girls walking into the grocery store wearing bikinis. This first-person narration conveys the protagonist’s thoughts and explains why Sammy quits his job at the end of the story; his character and point of view reinforce Updike’s central idea
John Updike's A&P provides numerous perspectives for critical interpretation. His descriptive metaphors and underlying sexual tones are just the tip of the iceberg. A gender analysis could be drawn from the initial outline of the story and Sammy's chauvinism towards the female. Further reading opens up a formalist and biographical perspective to the critic. After several readings I began seeing the Marxist perspective on the surreal environment of A&P. The economic and social differences are evident through Sammy's storytelling techniques and even further open up a biographical look at Updike's own view's and opinions. According to an essay posted on the internet Updike was a womanizer in his own era and displayed boyish immaturity into his adulthood. A second analysis of this story roots more from a reader-response/formalist view. Although Sammy centered his dramatization around three young females, more specifically the Queen of the trio, it was a poignant detailed head to toe description of scene. I'll touch on that later.